BLOOMINGTON BISON BRING BACK KOHEI SATO
By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, Ill. – Bloomington Bison Head Coach, Phillip Barski, announced today that the team has signed forward Kohei Sato to an ECHL standard player contract.
Sato, 28, appeared in 22 games with the Bison last season, collecting 10 points (2g, 8a) with 20 penalty minutes. He was acquired on January 22 from the Orlando Solar Bears, where he skated in 10 games, posting two points (one goal, one assist) and nine penalty minutes.
The Nishitokio, Japan native played with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League during the 2023-24 season. He recorded 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) and 33 penalty minutes in 47 games.
Internationally, Sato has competed for the Japan Men’s Ice Hockey National Team and medaled three times at the Division 1 (B) World Championships in 2019 (Bronze), 2022 (Silver), and 2023 (Gold).
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward played with the University of New Hampshire from 2017-2022, totaling 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 104 NCAA DI games. He completed his collegiate career in 2021-22 with Bentley University, skating in 31 games and potting 12 points (five goals, seven assists) while registering 26 penalty minutes.
2025-26 Flex Plan Vouchers are now on sale! A flexible ticket bank of 12 tickets allows you to choose which games to attend and how many tickets you need for each game! Pricing starts at just $240. To secure your seats, visit bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or call (309) 965-HERD.
